Where to go in October
Road trips that our season estimate rates as best in October: 621 routes in Europe, North America and Oceania.
Where to go in October by RV or camper? October is the month of fall colors. Forests in the Alps, New England and the Appalachians glow red and gold, while southern Europe still offers mild, sunny days. The roads are quiet, campgrounds have plenty of space, and in many wine regions the harvest season continues. In Australia it’s spring, a pleasant time for the south and the east coast before the summer heat.
The routes below are the ones our season estimate rates as good in October, based on long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass opening seasons. Our tip: many campgrounds in the mountains and the north close for the winter during October, and the first high passes close after early snowfall. Check opening dates and pass status before you go, and pack warm layers for the cold nights.
USA · 230 routes
The newest 24 are shown here; all routes are in the trip guide catalogue.
Photo by The AIRDEEz on UnsplashThe Blue Ridge Parkway, end to end
© Jamie Hagan dearjamie · CC0Utah's five national parks, in one loop from Las Vegas
© Arjun R · CC BY-SA 4.0Death Valley loop
Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on UnsplashLake Tahoe loop
Photo by Taisia Karaseva on UnsplashSequoia and Yosemite
Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on UnsplashRed rock Arizona
Photo by Oleg Chursin on UnsplashUtah Scenic Byway 12
Photo by Andrew Svk on UnsplashSan Juan Skyway
Photo by Caleb Jack on UnsplashTop of the Rockies to Aspen
Photo by Richard Hedrick on UnsplashHigh Road to Taos
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashTexas Gulf Coast
Photo by Pretty Pink on UnsplashRoute 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific
© Eric Guinther, User:Marshman · CC BY-SA 3.0Chihuahuan Desert parks
© Chris connelly · CC BY 2.0Natchez Trace Parkway
Photo by Mick Haupt on UnsplashRoute 66, part one: Chicago to Oklahoma City
© OakleyOriginals · CC BY 2.0Arkansas Ozarks
© bobistraveling · CC BY 2.0Lowcountry: Charleston to Savannah
Photo by History in HD on UnsplashOuter Banks
© Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") · CC BY-SA 4.0Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica
Photo by Mason @ TRI on UnsplashFlorida’s Forgotten Coast
© Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0Pacific Coast Highway south: Malibu to San Diego
Photo by Deon Hua on UnsplashLassen Volcanic loop: Burney Falls to the mud pots
© Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0Yosemite end to end: sequoias, Glacier Point and Tioga Road
© Marty Aligata · CC BY-SA 4.0Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest
Europe · 298 routes
The newest 24 are shown here; all routes are in the trip guide catalogue.
Photo by Rob Menting on UnsplashTuscany and Lazio by motorhome
© BenAveling · CC BY-SA 4.0Sicily loop: temples, Etna and Baroque towns
© Davide Papalini · CC BY-SA 3.0Riviera di Ponente: Genoa to the French border
Photo by Jordi Vich Navarro on UnsplashSardinia’s Orientale Sarda
Photo by Vincenzo De Simone on UnsplashPuglia: trulli, white towns and the heel of Italy
Photo by Monika Sojčáková on UnsplashMontefeltro: Rimini to Urbino and Gradara
© Antonio Castagna from Teramo, Italy · CC BY 2.0Conero Riviera and the Frasassi caves
© Mentnafunangann · CC BY-SA 3.0Cilento and Maratea: the quiet side of Campania
© pizzodisevo · CC BY-SA 2.0Monti Sibillini: Ascoli to the flowering plain
© maury3001 · CC BY 3.0Trabocchi Coast to the Molise and Abruzzo mountains
© Bernard Gagnon · CC0Gargano: forest, cliffs and sea stacks
© Adbar · CC BY-SA 3.0Castles and ravines of the Alta Murgia
© Mattis · CC BY-SA 3.0Basilicata: Matera, ghost towns and the Lucanian Dolomites
© Giuseppe Guida · CC BY-SA 2.0Calabria’s Coast of the Gods
© DonGatley · CC BY-SA 4.0Pollino and Sila: Calabria’s mountain heart
© Derbrauni · CC BY 4.0Western Sicily: Segesta, Erice and the salt pans
Photo by Sotiris Kastanas on UnsplashInland Sicily: mosaics, majolica and the Madonie
Photo by Krzysztof on UnsplashSardinia’s west coast: Alghero to Barumini
Photo by Luis van den Bos on UnsplashLanghe and Roero: Barolo country
© Discanto · CC BY-SA 4.0Gallura: granite coast of northern Sardinia
Photo by Leo_Visions on UnsplashMaremma: cypresses, hot springs and tuff towns
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on UnsplashItalian Riviera: Genoa to Lerici
Photo by Uta Scholl on UnsplashItaly’s Food Valley: Parma to Ravenna
Photo by Doni Rath on UnsplashUmbria’s hill towns
Oceania · 93 routes
The newest 24 are shown here; all routes are in the trip guide catalogue.
© Avcer0 · CC BY-SA 4.0From the Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga and back
© Ivyluphotography · Pixabay Content LicenseThe Kauri Coast and Hokianga from Kaikohe to Matakohe
© Originally uploaded by Kaiwhakahaere (Transferred by Gobonobo) · Public domainThree days in the Bay of Islands: Waitangi to Kerikeri
Photo by Abdul Hayee on UnsplashAuckland and the wild Waitākere west coast beaches
Photo by RE Walsh on UnsplashAuckland to Whangārei by the north-east coast
© David Schmitz · CC BY 2.0The Coromandel Peninsula loop from Thames to Waihī
© Symac · CC BY-SA 3.0Waikato circuit: Hobbiton, Waitomo caves, Kawhia and Raglan
© Ulrich Lange, Bochum, Germany · CC BY-SA 3.0Two days along the Bay of Plenty from Waihī to Te Kaha
© Ulrich Lange, Bochum, Germany · CC BY-SA 3.0The East Cape road from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne
Photo by Patrick McGregor on UnsplashRotorua, Taupō and Tongariro: a volcanic plateau road trip
© Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domainTongariro National Park, Whakapapa and Ōhakune in two days
Photo by Jonathan Göhner on UnsplashWaitomo caves and the SH3 coast road to New Plymouth
Photo by Sam Benstan on UnsplashAround Mt Taranaki on the Surf Highway and mountain roads
Photo by Rod Long on UnsplashThe Forgotten World Highway from Stratford to Taumarunui
© Reinhard Dietrich · CC0The Whanganui River Road from Whanganui to Ōhakune
Photo by Charlie Charoenwattana on UnsplashHawke's Bay: Napier, Hastings, wine and Cape Kidnappers
© Voice of Clam · Public domainWellington to Wairarapa wine country and Cape Palliser
Photo by Ms M on UnsplashSurf breaks, limestone stacks and sandstone ridges – by camper along the Great Ocean Road to the Grampians
© Maksym Kozlenko · CC BY-SA 4.0Taihape to Wellington through Manawatū and the Kāpiti Coast
© Ulrich Lange, Bochum, Germany · CC BY-SA 4.0From Picton Through the Marlborough Sounds to Nelson
Photo by Leon Feng on UnsplashAlong SH1 from Picton through Marlborough Wine Country to Kaikōura
Photo by Wallace Fonseca on UnsplashFrom Nelson to Abel Tasman, Takaka and the Top of the South
Photo by Marc Muylaert on UnsplashFrom Nelson to Westport via Nelson Lakes and the Buller Gorge
© Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) · CC BY-SA 3.0Sugar cane, the Coral Sea and cassowaries – up the Queensland coast by camper to Cape Tribulation
FAQs
Where can you go by motorhome in October?
For fall colors, head to New England, the Appalachians or the lower Alps. For sunshine, southern Spain, Portugal, Sicily, Greece and the US Southwest are ideal, as they’re pleasant rather than hot. In Australia, spring makes the south and the east coast a good choice before the summer heat arrives.
Are campgrounds still open in October?
Many are, but the season is winding down. In southern Europe and around the Mediterranean, numerous campgrounds stay open into late autumn or all year. In the mountains, in Scandinavia and in parts of central Europe, many close in September or October. Check the opening dates of each campground before you set off.
How are the routes for October chosen?
Our season estimate combines long-term temperature averages, terrain and the opening seasons of mountain passes for every stop of a route. These 621 routes are rated “good” in October. Weather varies from year to year, so check the forecast before you go.